A Minnesotan drives a rocket sled across a frozen lake. What could go wrong?

[Disir]

In his quest to become the fastest man on ice, Kurt Anderson naturally wanted to build a drag-racing sled powered by a rocket engine.

He also added a pair of parachutes and an emergency brake called a “pneumatic ice claw.” Because when you’re trying to break the world’s ice speed record, stopping safely is just as important as going fast.

Actually more important.

Yeah, definitely more important.

The divorced dad and business owner from Orono has popped the chutes and dropped the ice claw more than once while shooting across a frozen body of water.

It’s been a long and bumpy mission, taking him from aerospace salvage yards in California to a frozen lake in Sweden. He’s spent tens of thousands of dollars, survived spinouts and crashes and attracted the attention of reality television shows and beauty queens.
A Minnesotan drives a rocket sled across a frozen lake. What could go wrong?

That's way cool. I didn't even know there was such a thing as a drag racing school.

 

[Manonthestreet]

Delivered to this dude.

 

[Oddball]

Yeah, I'll stick to paragliding....Safer.

 

[petro]

In his quest to become the fastest man on ice, Kurt Anderson naturally wanted to build a drag-racing sled powered by a rocket engine.

He also added a pair of parachutes and an emergency brake called a “pneumatic ice claw.” Because when you’re trying to break the world’s ice speed record, stopping safely is just as important as going fast.

Actually more important.

Yeah, definitely more important.

The divorced dad and business owner from Orono has popped the chutes and dropped the ice claw more than once while shooting across a frozen body of water.

It’s been a long and bumpy mission, taking him from aerospace salvage yards in California to a frozen lake in Sweden. He’s spent tens of thousands of dollars, survived spinouts and crashes and attracted the attention of reality television shows and beauty queens.
A Minnesotan drives a rocket sled across a frozen lake. What could go wrong?

That's way cool. I didn't even know there was such a thing as a drag racing school.

Typical day in winter on a MN lake.



Ice fishing a few weeks ago. Yes, there are pickups out there.
Pretty much everyone is off the ice now. Fading fast with the warm weather.

Nothing like ripping a snowmobile in fresh powder across the lake.
Mine will do about 110 mph.
Sidelined from real riding this year due to broken ribs just slipping on the ice walking.

 

[Muhammed]

Michaelson, 81, the first civilian to launch an unmanned rocket into space, has set dozens of speed records, building rocket-powered cars, boats, snowmobiles, wheelchairs, even roller skates.


When I read that, Wile E. Coyote and his ACME Rocket Powered Roller Skates immediately came to mind.